


also a boy

by zenithzinc



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 19:50:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenithzinc/pseuds/zenithzinc
Summary: Seongwoo looked like he’s one step away from death, Minhyun couldn’t just stay and watch.





	also a boy

 

In this world, there’re two things that Hwang Minhyun and Ong Seongwoo were bad at : first, sport, second, fighting. In all his short seventeen years of living, it never crossed his mind there’d be a day he’d make such stupid decision by fighting a losing battle.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

There’re times when Seongwoo saw scenes in flashes : bright lights, nameless faces, blooming flowers, a familiar back facing him.

Among unintelligible sounds he heard in between, he remembered hearing a familiar voice singing quietly somewhere near.

This time, as he regained consciousness, a sight of familiar person welcomed his vision.

Minhyun’s reading as expected, a book Seongwoo assumed was new held in left hand as his right was wrapped in white cast. His hair was a lot shorter, as if he’s just got back from the army, and for unknown reasons it looked so ridiculous Seongwoo wanted to laugh.

He choked instead.

The other turned his head at the sound. He put down the book, then moved from where he’s sitting on the opposite bed to his side. It took seconds for the latter to realize that he’s also wearing a hospital gown.

“ What… happened?” Seongwoo asked, voice so faint he nearly couldn’t hear himself. The asked boy tilted his head. “ You look funny.” 

Minhyun didn’t look offended, he didn’t even give any smart comeback as usual, only leaned closer until he could reach the nurse call button over Seongwoo’s head.

The following episode went like this : a large group of people consisted of doctors, nurses and his parents came in to do another check up, his father’s expressionless as he tried to calm down his mother’s sobbing. Minhyun stood still at the corner of the room.

Seongwoo supposed he’s going to die, his body felt extra heavy it couldn’t move much and had prepared his last will until the youngest and friendliest-looking doctor in the group came again a week after to tell him that it’s actually the exact opposite.

The older laughed, waving his hand. “ No! You’re not gonna die! Well, to be honest, all of us thought you would, you’d been in coma for the longest time, like almost two months? And then went to a vegetative state for another four. But look at you now,” he gestured at him, “ fine as new. Though it took song long that even your brother had already found a donor.“

Seongwoo stopped midchew. “ Donor? What donor?”

The doctor was too expressive to hide his surprise.

“ It’s okay you can tell me,” Seongwoo caught his sleeve to keep him from going. “ I’ve been wondering, what happened to him? He broke his arm too.”

“ Uh, he’d broken his arm when you guys first came.” The doctor furrowed his brows. “ Didn’t you guys get into fight together?”

Seongwoo bit inside his cheeks. The last thing he remembered was he’s fighting against five jerks alone. If he recalled correctly, Minhyun’s nowhere to be seen in the scene.

“ No, he wouldn’t. “

“ Really? He looked like he did though.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Two weeks gradually passed since Seongwoo fully awake, some tubes had been removed from his body and he eventually could sit without leaning on the bed as support.

Contrary to common sense, the boy didn’t dislike staying in the hospital. First, he saw his parents more in that month alone than the last two years combined and his sister even cancelled her concerts only to come back and see him. Second, it’d been too late to enroll in new class, thus he needed to wait until the following year, which meant more free months without studying.

“ Where’s Minhyun?”

More often than not, Seongwoo wondered whether his sister actually shared blood with him or the other boy. Even until now, she always asked for him first.

“ He’s more likeable.” His sister continued as if she could hear what’s on his mind. “ Has he gone back to school?”

“ He left me behind?”

His mother looked up from her magazine. “ No way.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Minhyun would be lying if he said his heart didn’t miss some beats when he opened the door and found Seongwoo standing in the middle of the dark room, phone flashlight illuminating his face.

“ Finally you’re back!” The boy exclaimed as he patted around himself. “ My waist hurts like shit…”

Around this time, being still weak from his recovery, he usually had gone to sleep.

 “ You shouldn’t be out of your bed.”

The digital clock across the room indicated it’s only a quarter past nine, and although outside’s was still bustling, Minhyun could only hear his own footsteps after the door’s closed behind him. He put the plastic bag in his hand on top of his side’s nighstand.

“ Ha, but I’m bored,” the other half whined, dragging his IV pole back to his bed.

Minhyun turned on the TV, switching channels until the screen showed a random action movie which look rather recent.

 

 

 

Six months had passed since the incident. Six months with high probability of losing Seongwoo anytime. There’re many things he wanted to say, wanted to tell, wanted to share with the other, what he had missed, next door patients crazy antics, their birthdays, Brownie’s newborn puppies, the recent once-in-153-years meteor shower, everything, but none came out.

“ Minhyun,” 

“ Hm?”

It’s hard to feign nonchalance when Seongwoo asked abruptly, “ Are you avoiding me?”

There’s half minute of silence until Minhyun replied, “ Why would I?”

“ I don’t know. But it feels like it. Mother told me you haven’t enrolled in any new class, but I almost never see you.”

The following pause in conversation was so long Minhyun thought that’d be the end of their talk of the day and was adjusting to more comfortable position when Seongwoo spoke again.

“ You broke your arm.”

“ Yes.”

“ How? Why?”

“ I fell in the bathroom.”

Seongwoo shook his head, “ I mean, before that? The doctor told me you’re involved in a fight too?” The other kept continue despite lack of response. “ You can’t fight.”

“ Do you need a mirror?”

“ Hey! You should be grateful!” 

One second and something red flashed before Minhyun, setting of a spark inside him. He sat up, turning to Seongwoo who turned out had mirrored him, sitting on the edge of the bed, face hidden in the shadow.

“ Tell me, did I miss something? I don’t understand, I should be the one asking. Why did you do that? I know you’re stupid but not that stupid. They’re seniors, five versus one! What the hell triggered you? "

Seongwoo didn’t understand, Minhyun couldn’t lose another family. He didn’t think he could survive another lose, he knew he wouldn’t.

" You could’ve been dead, and you still say I should be grateful? The hell I need to be grateful for? Having you dead? " If the one who saved him were dead, how could he live?

Seongwoo opened his mouth but said nothing in return, only pushed himself back to the inner part of his bed and pulled up his blanket until it covered his entire body. Muffled hum was audible from under the cover, combined with his unmistakable sniffling, giving time for guilt to take over Minhyun. No one had ever raised their voice to Seongwoo, no one had ever had reason to.

Having hesitated for a moment, Minhyun eventually got up, closing the distance between their beds. “ Listen, I’m sorry,” He muttered, hovering over the other. “ I know I suck at fighting, but if they can stop beating you by beating me, I won’t mi-“

“ They spread rumors, they called you names,“ Seongwoo cut in,“ And you don’t need to apologize. It’s all due my stupidity anyway.”

“ What?” Minhyun wondered if he heard it wrong. “They insulted me?”

“ They insulted you,” Seongwoo sat up unexpectedly, startling the other. The lights emitted from TV screen exposed his face, emphasizing the still glistening eyes and a pout decorated his face.

All of a sudden, everything around them stopped. In a split second, all of Minhyun’s confusion dispersed, replaced by the thought that sent shudders down his spine : he wanted to kiss Seongwoo.

“ They c-called you gay. They said- they said you like me.”

Ong Seongwoo, his best friend,  his brother. Ong Seongwoo, also a boy.

 

 

 

 


End file.
